Round of Applause
by castielsgrace
Summary: It's the last day of school for our graduating class of 2012, but now the Glee club is being forced to split up. Blaine's hit hard by the realization that his boyfriend will be leaving, how does he cope? Klaine centric though it features everyone.


**A/N: **Graduation story yay. This was actually an assignment for my writing class but I like how it turned out and I haven't posted anything in _foreevvveeer_. Which I apologize for. So yeah, this is them on the last day of school of 2012, where half of them leave. Wooo~

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><p><em>Round of Applause<em>

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><p>"Kurt," A hand was placed on his shoulder, and Kurt groaned, rolling away from it. "You gotta wake up, bud."<p>

"Five more minutes."

"Now, c'mon. You don't wanna be late for your last day of high school, do you?"

Kurt's eyes shot open as he sat up quickly. His father was standing at the foot of his bed, dressed in his usual, and he was smiling ear to ear. As the realization of it being the last day dawned on him, a smile grew on Kurt's face as well. He threw himself into his father's arms, holding on tightly.

"It's finally over," Kurt whispered happily.

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><p>Blaine heaved a sigh as he stared blankly at the seat across from him. The only sounds that could be heard throughout his home were the ticking of clocks and the sound of his breath. His parents were gone already, as usual, and he was left alone. You'd think today of all days his mother would have at least woken him up.<p>

He took another bite of the colourful cereal as he thought once again about the fact that this was the last day of school. The last time he and Kurt would walk hand in hand down the hallways and the beginning of the countdown to Kurt's departure to New York. The last month had been one of the most painful months of Blaine's life. It had finally dawned on him that Kurt would be graduating without him at the beginning of June, and for the first time since they met Blaine felt as if they weren't equals.

Because they weren't. Kurt _was_ older than him, and while Blaine was glad he'd be going somewhere much more accepting of homosexuality, he wished he could go too. It just wasn't fair, Blaine decided as he moved to place his bowl in the dishwasher; he'd finally found someone he cared about more than anything, someone who made everything dark in his life seem brighter, and it was being ripped from him.

Anger boiled up inside him, and Blaine slammed the dishwasher closed before storming back up to his room. He dressed quickly, not caring too much about his appearance, and walked out to his car; the car that him and his dad had fixed up as 'bonding time', also known as straight camp. Because no matter what his father said, he didn't accept Blaine. He never would. Instead he dragged Blaine's mother all over the world on his business trips, leaving Blaine with the house to himself. Paradise for most, yes, but all Blaine wanted was a set of parents to comfort him in times like this. He just wanted them to be there, despite the fact that it was his boyfriend moving away, not a girlfriend.

The drive to school was long and since the roads were all but empty Blaine didn't have anything to distract him from the thoughts circling in his mind. When he finally arrived at the school his mood worsened. Everyone was cheering and celebrating, and worst of all Kurt wasn't here yet. On any other day it'd be no big deal, Blaine would laugh and tell him he didn't have to worry so much about his appearance because he would always look dashing, Kurt would blush, and then it'd be forgotten. But today was the last day they'd have together in the hellhole known as McKinley. Then Blaine would be alone again and Kurt would be in New York, happily among people who didn't care that he was gay.

As he walked to his locker, Tina came up beside him. She was dressed head to toe in black, and for the first time in a while her mood suited her outfit.

"Morning," Blaine said quietly, not even trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Blaine, I'm scared." Tina whispered, leaning against the locker next to his and staring at the ground. "Mike's leaving; he's going to be attending some big important dance school millions of miles away. Do you know what female dancers look like? They're gorgeous. What if he realizes that he could do so much better?"

"Don't be ridiculous. You've got no reason to doubt anything, and you know it." Blaine scowled at the inside of his locker. All his books were gone, and with the pictures taken down it looked so cold and… empty. He slammed it closed with a bit too much force.

"Says you. You have Kurt, you guys were, like, made for each other."

"He's going to New York, Tina." Blaine sighed, "He's spent his whole life in this town with literally no other options, but that city… it's filled with people who'd love to be with him." He rubbed tiredly at his eyes.

"Do you honestly think I'd leave you because I'm suddenly going to have 'options'?" Blaine spun to face his boyfriend, who was standing with his arms folded and one eyebrow raised.

"I was simply…" He trailed off, knowing now wasn't the time for excuses and instead pulling Kurt into a tight hug, glad that it was returned with equally as much enthusiasm.

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><p>Brittany didn't quite understand what was going on. All day people had been either happy, or crying. Or both. And people kept going from being happy, to being sad. She just didn't understand. Wasn't summer vacation a good thing? She saw Santana walking towards her and smiled, waving and smiling brightly.<p>

"Hi, Tana!"

"Hey, Britt." Santana smiled weakly, though Brittany could tell she was obviously not very happy.

"What's the matter?"

"It's the last day of school." Santana laughed sadly, "I can't believe it's finally the last day."

"Yeah! I've been waiting for summer vacation for _years!_" Brittany agreed, clapping happily. "No more boring old teachers trying to confuse me for a couple months, and no more of Mr. Schue's hair!" She giggled happily, waiting for Santana to join in, though she never did.

"Britt," She said quietly, lightly taking the girl's hand, "You know we're not coming back here, right?"

"What? Of course we are; it's school. I asked my parents if I could, like, not go, but they said no."

"No, Britt. You don't understand." Santana sighed, looking away, "We're graduating. That means we're _not_ coming back."

Brittany's smile faltered as Santana's words sunk in. Not coming back? But… but this is where her family was. "But… But Glee club…"

"Glee club is over, Britt. Today's the last meeting." Santana said quietly. Brittany's face dropped as a tear rolled down her cheek.

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><p>"Hey Boo!" Mercedes said, happily bounding over to Kurt and pulling him into a tight hug. "It's the last day! We're finally free!"<p>

She giggled as they jumped up and down, but noticed Blaine's expression. The mood lessened slightly as she walked over to him. "Hey, Blaine."

He smiled weakly, "Hi."

"It'll all work out, I promise." She ruffled his surprisingly un-gelled curls, "You and Kurt are perfect for each other; it'll all work out."

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><p>When Will walked into the choir room at the end of the day, he noticed first that no one was speaking, and that everyone looked close to tears if they weren't already crying. He was just as sad to see them go as the rest, but it was still his job to make sure that they were okay.<p>

"Hey guys," He smiled sadly at the group, "I know today must be difficult for you guys, and I know that some of you are leaving while others are staying and I _know_that that's really hard to come to terms with, but we have to remember that it's not the end if you don't want it to be. Sure, you could easily drift apart and never speak a word to one another again, but I know you, and I know that you care for each other more than that.

"You're a family, and despite all the drama that's happened over the past two years, I know that none of you want to loose the friendships you've created. Just remember that no matter the distance, no matter how little you can see of someone, you can still love them. You just have to try, just have to hold onto that bond you've created.

"Plus, we've still got a few of you who're staying for one more year, so it's not really goodbye. If you still want to, you can come to their graduation, too. A mini-reunion of sorts." Will smiled at the fact that most of the kids seemed even a bit happier than they were when he first walked in. "You guys don't have to say goodbye."

Rachel's hand shot up, and Will smiled, tempted to say her statement along with her, "Mr. Schue, if I may?"

"Of course, Rachel."

She walked to the front of the room, turning to face her classmates with a bright smile in place, though Will could see the bit of sadness in her eyes. "I think we should do one final number. In front of the school, I mean." There were a few groans, and Rachel lifted her hands to silence them, "I know, I know. But it's the last day, it's not like they can burden us afterwards. We need to go out with a bang, show people what they missed out on. Show them that we're a family, that we're happy and that no matter what they did we stayed strong."

"I agree with Rachel," Kurt said from beside Blaine. Will wondered why they weren't just sharing a chair at how close they were sitting, but one look at Blaine would tell you exactly why they were so close. "It's time to show them that we don't have to give a damn about what they think."

They grouped together quickly, going through songs that would work and deciding who would get which parts. Will was so proud of them, so amazed at how far they'd come. Despite everything, he knew that Glee had helped them all be generally better people, and he _knew_ that the bond they had would stick with them. Because they weren't just another Glee club, and unlike Vocal Adrenaline they were simply here because they loved to sing, and loved the people that they got to be around.

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><p>The cafeteria was so loud that lunch hour that when the music started up, the occupants barely heard it. But they did, and they all knew what was coming. A few people shouted their protests, complaining that it was the last day and they should just give it up already, but they knew it wouldn't make a difference.<p>

Kurt started singing from where he was sitting with Mercedes near the back of the cafeteria, his voice ringing strong and clear through the room.

_I have often dreamed_

_Of a far off place_

_Where a great warm welcome_

_Will be waiting for me_

Rachel stood next, her signature smile plastered on her face as she belted out the next verse.

_Where the crowds will cheer_

_When they see my face_

_And a voice keeps sayin'_

_This is where I'm meant to be_

The rest of the club stood up from various places in the room to join in for the chorus, all smiles teary eyes as they realized that this would most likely be their last chance to sing like this together.

_I'll find my way_

_I can go the distance_

_I will be there someday_

_If I can be strong_

_I know every mile_

_Will be worth my while_

_When I go the distance I'll be right _

_Where I belong_

Finn stepped forward, bending down to kiss Rachel's cheek gently before starting in on his verse.

_Down an unknown road_

_You embrace my fears_

_Though that road may wander_

_It will lead me to you_

When he'd finished and moved back over to Rachel, Puck stepped forward. Most of the students snickered a bit, and it was blaringly obvious they thought it made him seem girly, but Puck held his ground and sung his bit with equally as much, if not more, emotion than Finn had.

_And a thousand years_

_Would be worth the wait_

_It might take a lifetime_

_But somehow I'll see it through_

They started in on the chorus again, slowly moving together as they sang. Couples joined hands with teary eyes, though the mood was cheery despite the unease at half of the club leaving. Brittany stepped forward when they had finished, holding pinkies with Santana.

_But to look beyond the glory_

_Is the hardest part_

_For a hero is measured by his heart._

Blaine walked into the middle of the cafeteria, still looking downtrodden as he made eye contact with Kurt. They shared a sad smile, and Blaine started to slowly walk toward him as he sang without the usually bubbly energy that he brought to other solos.

_Like a shooting star_

_I will go the distance_

_I will search the world_

_I will face it's harms_

_I don't care how far_

_I can go the distance_

'_Til I find a hero's welcome_

_Waiting in your arms_

Blaine reached out; taking Kurt's hands and pulling him close as he sang the last lines of the song, his voice ringing clearly through the silent cafeteria.

_I will search the world_

_I will face its harms_

'_Til I find my hero's welcome_

_Waiting in your arms._

Their fellow Glee club members had all made their way to the middle, and as soon as the music stopped they fell into a big group hug, all laughing and crying and praising each other. It was wonderful, but as per the usual, it was ruined by an idiot in a Letterman jacket.

"That was pathetic." He shouted. "You're a bunch of pathetic losers."

"Wrong, as usual." Puck said, stepping forward. "Just give it up Azimo. It's the last day of school, and we're still together as a club. We're still like a family. You and your friends clearly aren't going to change that, so leave us alone, yeah?"

The jock seemed to be speechless. He stared at the group with wide eyes, opening and closing his mouth like a fish as he tried to come up with a clever remark that was not going to come. Instead he turned on his heel and headed for the door, shouting one final 'losers!' before exiting the cafeteria with all eyes on him. Once the doors had closed behind him, everyone turned to stare at the Glee club.

Rachel stepped forward with a bright smile. "Thank you all for listening these past three years."

"Yeah, you've been wonderfully terrible," Kurt threw in as he was pulled forward by the short brunette.

"Bow," She whispered, falling into a curtsy herself. Kurt rolled his eyes but pulled Blaine forward and falling into a bow as he intertwined his fingers with Blaine's. Much to their surprise, someone started to clap. Everyone looked up and stared towards the back of the room. One girl had stood up and started to clap. She smiled and nodded when she caught their eye. Slowly, more people joined in. The Glee club looked around with wide eyes at their fellow students as the sound of applause filled the room.

It had been three years. Three years of constant hate and abuse, but they had finally did it. They had finally been accepted and embraced, and as they stood there they realized that there was no greater feeling in the world.

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><p>At the last bell of the day, the classrooms exploded with excitement. Everyone legitimately threw their papers in the air—much to their teacher's dismay—and ran from the rooms.<p>

Mr. Schuester looked out at the empty classroom with a sigh and the ghost of a smile on his face when he saw Blaine in the back of his classroom still putting his books away. The kid looked heartbroken, and Will knew that Kurt leaving was eating him up inside. He walked over and laid a hand gently on Blaine's shoulder. The boy looked up quickly, his curls bouncing slightly on his head.

"Sorry, I'll hurry up," He muttered as he continued to stuff things into his bag.

"Blaine…"

"I know you want to get home too. I'm sorry, just give me a moment."

"No, Blaine." Will said sternly, "I don't care about going home, I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine." The boy responded unconvincingly.

"Blaine I know it must be hard for you, having to watch Kurt leave, but you need to be strong. It's not like you're never going to see him again. Actually, knowing Kurt Skype calls are going to be a daily thing."

Blaine looked up at him with shining eyes, "You say that now, but you know that the amount of work you get in university is… well it's a lot compared to high school. Plus, it's New York. Kurt's actually got a choice of guys there."

"Do you really think Kurt's just going to drop you like that?"

"Maybe?" Blaine sighed, "I don't know."

"Even your teachers can tell that you love each other, Blaine. If even we think you guys will continue to go strong, I think it's got a good chance of happening."

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><p>Kurt scanned his living room for his boyfriend, trying to spot him through the slightly intoxicated Glee club sprawled around the room. He had a pretty good feeling that Puck had spiked the pop, but for once he didn't care. His dad and Carole were going out for the weekend—with much pushing from both him and Finn—and it <em>was<em> the last chance they had to do this as a group.

"You okay, Kurt?" Rachel asked, sitting down next to him.

"Blaine's not here."

"I'm sure he's on his way," She suggested sadly.

"I don't know what I did, Rach. I know that he's upset that I'm leaving but he's been avoiding me like the plague all day."

"You guys were practically sitting on each other in Glee, though."

Kurt sighed, "I suppose avoiding is the wrong word. Yes, he's been clingy today but I think I've heard him speak once or twice at the most, and most of the time it's not to _me._"

"He's just scared, Kurt. You are leaving, and he's right about New York having options."

"But does he think I'd actually do that?"

"I think he knows deep down that you won't, but right now sense isn't kicking in. His mind's just going over every possible negative outcome."

Kurt sighed, rubbing at his temples, "I just want to leave on a positive note. I don't want this… this wall separating us like it has been."

"He'll come around Kurt, I promise."

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><p>Blaine kept his head down as he made his way slowly to Kurt's house. He could've taken his car, yes, but he needed to think; needed to clear his mind for a bit. Because this time was the last of what he had with Kurt. It was precious and he was wasting it by being immature.<p>

He turned the corner and saw Kurt's house at the end of the street. He could see the lights on in the living room and remembered about the party. God, he was a terrible boyfriend. Blaine's pace quickened immediately to the point where he was almost running to Kurt's place.

He knocked on the door, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he found himself unable to sit still. When Kurt opened the door, he threw himself into his boyfriend's arms. "I'm sorry."

"Um… hi?"

"I'm so sorry, Kurt. I've been stupid and selfish and I'm sorry." Blaine caught Kurt's gaze and held it. "I love you and I'm sorry that I didn't make your last day perfect like I should've."

"Blaine, it's fine." Kurt smiled, "I'm just glad that you're back to being you now."

Blaine smiled, resting his forehead on Kurt's, "Call it fate, Kurt, call it anything you want. All I know," He reached a hand up to brush his fingers against his cheek, "All I know is that I found you, and I _know_ that we'll always be together."


End file.
